It's Different Now
by rayrayrayray
Summary: Booth stays in Afghanistan for three years after hurting Brennan, but when he comes back, she's moved on. Will it last forever? Or will seeing Booth again bring old feelings back?
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone! This is an idea that I thought of a few days ago, and I couldn't wait to get the story started! I'm not stopping my other story, I'll just be writing them at the same time. This story takes place 3 years after season 5, and pretend that season 6 never happened. It should make sense once you read this prologue. Please, let me know what you think! I live off of reviews, and will accept any comments or suggestions :)**

Prologue

Since when was Seeley Booth one to forget things? He always remembered to pick up Parker for the weekend, to interrogate suspects on time, and to finish his paperwork.

Well, most of the time.

He could recall sports games scores, how many stripes were on his socks, what his favorite number was, who had told him what, and important dates in his life. He remembered everything.

But sometimes, he wished he could forget.

The night he remembered to clearest, was the one he wanted to forget. It had flashed back into his mind when he glanced at his calendar, the date was so familiar, and it ruined his day. Friends asked what was wrong, people commented on his grumpy attitude, but how would they be able to guess what was wrong?

They didn't know what had happened, no one there did.

He hated himself for it, he was ashamed. More than he had ever been before. He dug his feet into the dry dirt, trying to think about something else. There wasn't much to distract him there, everything was dull.

"Sarge?"

He heard a voice from behind him, seeing one of his soldiers leaning against a tent post. Franklin was his name, but everyone called him Frank.

"Maybe you need sometime off," He said, walking over to where Booth was sitting, and taking a seat next to him.

Booth played with the glass in front of him, tipping it back and forth, watching the yellow liquid slosh around inside. It might not be the best beer he'd ever had, but at least it was something numbing.

"Is this about that girl?"

Booth looked up at the question. Frank was a good man, loyal to his country, and his friends. Booth looked back to his beer, watching it with sad eyes.

"Yeah."

Frank nodded subtly, pressing his lips together to form a tight line.

"You know, you haven't told us much about her," Said Frank softly, leaning closer to get Booth's attention.

"I don't like to think about her," He said honestly, shrugged his shoulders with an exaggerated motion.

"Is she still in America?" Asked Frank, tilting his head.

"Don't know. I haven't talked to her in three years," Said Booth, laughing halfheartedly.

"Three years? God sarge, I talk to my girl every month," He said, "But I guess she makes an effort too," He didn't want to make Booth feel even worse, so he bit his tongue to prevent himself from talking anymore.

Booth looked up, smiling a bit, with a peculiar glint in his eye that Frank had not seen before.

"Wanna see a picture of her?" Booth asked, pulling his wallet from his pocket.

"Do I," Frank said, excited to see this mysterious woman he'd been hearing about since Booth had been here.

Booth unfolded his wallet, flipping through the several cards he had, and pulling a small picture from the back of them. Glancing at it himself for a few seconds first, before handing it over to Frank.

Frank's eyes widened, and he smiled a large, happy smile.

"Damn sarge! Gosh... she's beautiful," He said, examining the photo once more before handing it back.

"Isn't she?" He asked, taking another look.

"I can see why your so bent out of shape. You must miss her terribly," He said sympathetically.

"You have no idea," he chuckled, "Worst part is, she doesn't know how much I care about her." he said longingly.

"Why didn't you tell her before you left?" He asked, curiously.

"I did."

"How does she not know then?"

"She has, trouble understanding..." He said, sipping at his beer, "She's not stupid, she's brilliant. But she can't _rationally_ explain feelings," Said Booth, emphasizing the 'rationally'.

"Doesn't she feel the same way about you?" Asked Frank, pulling out a cigaret, and lighting it up.

"I don't think so. Not after what I did to her."

_3 Years earlier_

It was late. And Booth's apartment had never felt so cozy. They were sitting together on his couch, watching some sports related program, drinking. He didn't care though, they both knew they were leaving, to go to separate ends of the earth. And this was one of their last nights together.

He couldn't waste it.

"You know Bones, this is it. Our lives are about to change, forever," He said, setting down his drink.

"It's quite exciting, isn't it?" She said happily, taking another sip.

"You sure love dead bodies, don't you?" He said jokingly.

"The ones in Maluku, they are stunning. I could possibly discover some of the first hominids," She said, smiling.

"Bones," he said in a serious tone, "We aren't going to see each other for a yer. A whole year. That's 365 days."

"I know how many days are in a year Booth," She laughed, but soon realized he wasn't in the mood for her giggling.

"I'm going to miss you."

Brennan wasn't really sure what was happening, or why she was feeling so lousy. But the way Booth looked at her... It just hurt.

"Of course we'll miss each other, we've been partners for five years," She said logically.

"Are you sure you want to go to through with this? I mean, we could just stay," he said.

"My trip is one that, every anthropologist dreams of Booth, I can't say no now," She said, looking at him with sad eyes.

They spent the rest of the night trying to be happy, giving the occasional smile or laugh, but it was hard. Once the game ended, Brennan looked at her watch, and seeing how late it was, she decided to head out.

She was standing outside his door, facing inside. He was on the inside, facing outside. She couldn't help but think that this is where two people would share a romantic kiss in a film, and then everything would fall into place. But she knew that wasn't a possibility.

"Goodbye Booth," She said, giving him a sad smile.

"Good night, Bones," He said, clutching the door handle with his fingers.

Brennan turned, and began to walk slowly down the hall towards the elevator.

After a few moments of hesitation, Booth walked after her. "Bones, wait."

Brennan turned around in the middle of the hall, looking back to see Booth catching up with her.

"Don't go."

"Booth, it's late. I really should get home."

"No. Don't go to Maluku."

Brennan looked at Booth quizzically. Knitting her brow, she responded.

"Why not? I want to go."

"But I don't want you to leave. And I don't want to leave either," He said, stepping closer.

He could see that she was confused, and uncomfortable with the situation. But he couldn't keep it bottled up inside any longer, he had to tell her how he felt.

"Ever since I asked for a relationship... No, ever since my coma, I have loved you Bones. I love you. And I can't pretend I don't as you try to walk out of my life," Said Booth, grabbing her by the shoulders.

Before she had a chance to reply, He pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss.

It was just like their last kiss, It only lasted a few seconds before she pushed him away.

Again.

"Booth! Stop!" She shouted, backing away from him.

"I can't stop it Bones! Listen Temperance," She was surprised at the use of her first name, "I can never stop loving you. I just can't," He pleaded. He couldn't take another rejection either.

"You don't love me, It's impossible. Love... It doesn't exist! I can't..." She trailed off, taking a breath to keep herself steady, "I'm just... No." She said, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Why wont you just accept it? I love you Temperance Brennan, and I always will. You can't leave now. You can't..." He said, he could feel his own eyes start to water as well.

"Stop. Just, stop. It's not fair Booth," She said, letting her tears fall.

"Do I have to beg? Fine. Please Temperance, please stay. I can't be away from you. I think about you everyday, it's not fair to me that you have to leave either," He said, grabbing her hands with his own, "Please stay."

"No Booth. I'm going, whether you like it or not," She whispered, crying at the same time.

"I'm not afraid of all the reasons that we shouldn't try this. But you are, you can't handle it. You think you're strong, and you are, but you just can't handle it," he said, pulling on her arms tighter.

"I'm leaving..." She cried, trying to turn away from Booth.

"You have to stop being so cold and insensitive! What about my feelings?" He asked.

By the look on her face, he knew he had said the wrong thing. Now that he thought about his word choices, he had said something very wrong. And hurtful.

"Bones... No, no I didn't mean that-"

"Just leave me alone." She said, her sad expression replaced with and angry one.

Booth felt her hands rip from his, and the next thing he knew, she was gone.

"Sarge, it's been three years. Don't you think She's forgiven you by now?" Asked Frank, stamping his cigaret out on the dry soil inside the tent.

"I doubt it."

"Well, you could either mope here for the rest of your life, or go back and find her," He said, standing up from the chair.

"I know Frank. What am I supposed to say? Sorry for being gone for three years after I hurt you, do you love me now?" He said angrily.

"You've done your time here. Go back to your old life," Said Frank. He gave booth a reassuring smile, and then walked out of the tent.

Booth pondered for a moment, pulling out the picture of Brennan again. He smiled at the memory of her, and all the fun they had together solving murders.

Frank was right, he needed to go back.

**Next Chapter: how will Brennan react when she sees Booth for the first time in three years? And how will Booth react to how she's changed? Find out soon! Please, let me know what you think :)**


	2. Too Late Now

**Here's the first real chapter! Hope you like it!**

Chapter One

"Too Late Now"

The flight seemed to last forever. He knew it was only 5 hours in reality, but he couldn't wait to get back to DC.

Frank had really convinced him to take a break from war. He knew that was what he needed. He just needed his Bones. He became even more excited at the thought of seeing her, but he was apprehensive about the situation as well. Would she even recognize him after he'd been gone so long? Of course she would, how could she possibly forget him?

He had rented a car from the airport, since he had given up his FBI SUV years ago. But that was all going to change. He had called the Jeffersonian, and they remembered him. Brennan still worked there, along with Cam, Angela, and Hodgins. Along with a few new squinterns. Sweets was still the FBI psychologist, and he was sure that he would want an appointment with Booth as soon as he was available. He was getting his job back, along with his office, and his car. He had kept his apartment, because he originally planned to leave for one year instead of three, but he had been keeping up with the rent for when he did return.

Once he got to his apartment, he was in awe. Everything was exactly how he had left it. He even remembered leaving the empty coffee mug out on the counter before he left. Who would've guessed?

He unpacked all of his travel clothes, and put them back into their familiar places. When he went to the fridge, it was empty of course. He would have to go food shopping soon. He could just order Thai for dinner.

Just like he used to with Brennan.

He needed to go to work, and check in with all his old friends. Hacker was still around, and he had been promised his old office. He would also get his car back. Well, not the exact one, but a new and improved one, which he couldn't argue with.

Once he saw Brennan, maybe he could convince her to become partners again. That was something he had really missed while away, their partnership. Their late night heart to heart talks, and drinks after cases. Getting coffee, eating at the diner, riding in his car, teaching her about football, swimming in her pool with Parker.

Parker.

What was he doing sitting around his apartment? He had to go see his son.

How could he forget about Parker? He hadn't told his son he was coming home yet. They had kept in touch, talking every few weeks. Parker was now 11, and he hadn't seen him since the day he left. Hopefully he had turned out right. Over the phone he seemed like a pretty normal kid, who still liked shooting games and football. A regular preteen boy. He skipped going to work, and headed straight for Rebecca's.

He knocked on the door to their small abode a few times, praying that they were home. It was Saturday, so he shouldn't be at school and she shouldn't be at work. He waited, tapping his foot impatiently.

Just when he thought that no one would answer, the door knob began to turn slowly, and the door opened.

"Seeley?"

Rebecca had answered the door, still wearing pajamas. It looked like a lazy day after all.

"Rebecca, hey," He smiled, looking behind her into the apartment.

"What are you doing back? Parker was getting worried that you would never return," She said sadly, "But it's good to see you." She smiled.

"I'm back, for good," His smiled matched hers, wrinkle for wrinkle.

After a few moments of a non awkward silence, Rebecca turned her head to the side, calling out into the apartment.

"Parker! Come look who's here!" She shouted.

Booth heard a dull mumble from somewhere inside, and then the thud of child sized footsteps that shook the floor. But only slightly.

He saw Parker's face poke around the corner of the door frame, his eyes sleepy, and his hair tussled. Suddenly, his face lit up, and before he knew it, his son had jumped into his arms.

"Dad!" He heard his son yell.

"Hey buddy! Oh gosh, look how tall you are," He wasn't joking. Parker looked as if he'd had a growth spurt in his absence. He was probably a foot or more taller than the last time he had seen him. It made Booth regret his decision for staying on the other side of the world even more than he already was. How could he forgive himself for missing three years of his son's life?

"Dad! You're back!" Yelled Parker as he felt his son squeeze him tighter than he already had been.

"Alright Parker, you're strangling me! Loosen your grip a bit," He chuckled, breathing in when Parker did as he asked.

He saw Rebecca staring at them, her eyes filled with happiness for her son, and probably for him as well. He was slightly shocked at how much they had both changed, and was wondering if the same had happened to Brennan.

3 years later? Something must have changed, right?

Yet again, she would always be Bones.

He spent the rest of the day with Parker, taking him to get ice cream at the park. They played football in the fields for a few good hours before Parker had to go home and get ready for bed so he could get up for church the next day. They said goodbye with a warm embrace, and then he was off.

Booth got a coffee from the coffee stand in the park. He took it, and sat down on a bench. He enjoyed the calm surroundings. It was so different from Afghanistan, the place he had been for the past three years, and yet so familiar. Children playing, parents talking, dogs barking, people laughing, the faint song of the merry-go-round in the distance, all were sounds he had not heard when he was away. Well, he had dogs bark, but not in any way that was playful.

He was glad he had come back, and he didn't realize how much he had missed it. The green grass, the trees, the freedom.

He sat until dusk came, reveling in the beauty.

Once he was driving again, he found himself heading towards Brennan's apartment. He hadn't really planned to, but he felt that seeing her would make his day even better than it had already turned out. He could only pray that she missed him as much as he missed her. And that she had forgiven him for his harsh words.

He wasn't surprised to see the lights shining through the windows of her apartment as he pulled up, like they always used to be. He wondered, if by some chance, she was eating Thai food. Probably not.

He looked at the little chart in the lobby, she still lived here. In the same place she had always lived. He smiled, and continued onward.

As he rode the elevator up, he contemplated what to say to her. His last words had been hurtful, and he wanted to make things right again. Could he just say hi? Would that be enough? No, he had to apologize. He had to say he was sorry, he couldn't just expect her to jump into his arms. She would never do that.

The thing that made him most nervous though, was the fear of being rejected, again. Not as a lover though, but as a friend. What would he do if she didn't forgive him? How would he cope with that?

No. She had to miss him. Even if it was just every now and then, there was no way she could forget him. They had been best friends, partners... How could he have given that up?

He had told her to meet him a year later.

He never came back.

The thought of her waiting, alone by the reflecting pool... It just broke his heart.

And he couldn't imagine how she felt.

He had caused that pain. And he had to fix it.

He approached her door, looking at the knocker. He reached up, hesitant at first, but he grasped it firmly in his fist, and hit it against the door three times.

And then he waited. The seconds seemed to pass as minutes, and still no one answered.

He avoided the peephole purposely, not wanting her to choose not to answer.

_This is it Booth, no turning back now._

He was just about to give up hope when he heard the click of the doorknob turning, and the door opened slowly.

He looked up to face level, expecting to see a surprised Brennan, but instead, his gaze met that of a tall, dark haired green eyed man. Sporting nothing but a pair of sweatpants.

At first Booth thought he had the wrong apartment, but he knew that wasn't what was wrong. He had double checked the number before knocking. The man stared at him, with as much confusion as Booth could feel in his own gaze. The man scratched his head, playing with his medium length hair.

"Can I help you?" Said the deep voiced man, still twisting his hair in his fingers.

"Does Bones live here?" He asked, only realizing his mistake after it was too late.

"Bones?" Asked the man, genuinely concerned.

"Sorry, I mean Temperance. Does she live here?" He asked once again. Maybe someone else had moved in while he was away.

The man just stared at him, Booth was positive he had the wrong apartment. This man, who matched his height almost equally, seemed to be annoyed by his presence, he could feel it. He was about to say never mind, and walk away, but that's when he heard it.

Her voice.

"Who is it?" He heard from deeper inside the apartment, muffled by the distance.

Booth stared behind the man, seeing the familiar furniture, but not who he was looking for.

The man stood uncomfortably in the doorway, and turned his head to talk.

"Some guy. Says he knows you," He said into the apartment.

Booth heard faint footsteps from inside, and after a few moments passed, he saw her.

She was dressed in what he assumed was lounge wear. A vibrant blue tank top, and gray yoga pants.

Her face changed dramatically when she recognized him, her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. He stood awkwardly in the doorway, the unknown man in between them seemed confused as to what was happening, he stared at Brennan, waiting for her to say something.

He wasn't the only one waiting to see her reaction.

"Hey Bones," He said casually.

Had she forgotten who he was?

Was she angry at him? Too angry to speak?

Why wasn't she saying anything?

"Booth."

he let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't terribly angry with him.

"How do you know him Tempe?" Said the mystery man.

"He used to be my partner..." She said quietly.

But before either of them said anything else, Booth heard the last thing he was expecting to at that point.

"Mommy?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. He looked down to Brennan's legs, where two tiny hands were grabbing onto her pants. In the dim light, he saw a small head of brown hair and a pair of bright green eyes looking up at him. He looked back to the man standing next to him. Their eyes matched, perfectly.

And at that moment, Booth felt his heart break harder than ever before.

**Review?**


	3. I missed you

**Okay... so some of you were upset with the last chapter... really upset. But you know what? I don't mind if you don't like the way the story is now. Because maybe, MAYBE if you stuck with the story for a while here, you'll begin to understand why what happened, happened. I hope you don't stop reading, and keep reviewing! I don't care if you have long reviews, I LOVE long reviews. Long reviews inspire me to write more! so... review to get chapters. **

Chapter 2

"I Missed You"

Booth stood, absolutely shocked by the sight unfolding in front of him. This scraggly looking man, with 5 o'clock shadow and tangled hair, was the father of Brennan's child. It was strange though, the child at Brennan's legs looked like a mirror image of her, but the only difference was the green gaze that pierced his heart. In the child's face, he saw innocence. But in this man's face...

"Booth?"

Brennan's voice interrupted his thoughts, and then he realized he had frightened the little girl by staring at her, who was now completely hidden by her mother's legs.

"What?" he asked, finding his way back to reality.

"Booth? That's your name?" Asked the man, who he did not really want to talk to at the moment.

"Last name," Brennan said before he had time to respond, "His first name is Seeley. We used to work together."

Booth looked back to the half dressed man, who was eying him suspiciously.

"This is Eric," She said, walking up to the green eyed man, introducing him to Booth. And dragging her daughter along with her leg. "And this, uh, this is Jade," She said, looking down to her legs where the little girls head was poking out from.

Booth could feel the awkward radiating from the situation. It was as thick as cotton, thick enough to strangle him. And it almost was.

"What are you... doing here?" She finally had the courage to say something.

Booth could see her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm... back from Afghanistan."

This wasn't working out at all how he thought it would. She was supposed to be here, alone. She would be angry with him, say a few harsh words, and then fall into his arms. They were supposed to be watching a game, eating Thai food. Talking about how they were glad to see each other again. And how much fun it would be to start cases together...

This was not how it was supposed to happen.

She wasn't supposed to be with this guy Eric. They weren't supposed to be together, living together, have a child...

Had she even missed him while he was gone?

"Come inside," She said hesitantly, "I don't want all the AC to go out the door."

Booth nodded, stepping inside and letting Eric close the door behind him. Eric went and stood next to Brennan, whispered something in here ear, and walked towards her bedroom. Jade stayed until Eric called her, and she rushed off towards his voice with quick baby steps.

Brennan looked over her shoulder, until she heard the bedroom door click shut, then turned back to Booth. He stood silently, as did she. He could see it in her eyes, she was about to shout at him until his ears bled. He braced himself for an argument, giving her a guilty expression.

He was surprised though, when she hugged him. Her arms wrapped around his torso, squeezing him in the tightest embrace he had ever felt from her. He wasn't quite sure what to do, should he be happy that she wasn't angry? He tried, but he was just left confused.

"I missed you," He heard her whisper, so quietly he wasn't even sure if he was supposed to hear it.

Booth then returned her gesture, enveloping her in his well muscled arms. They stood there like that for what felt like a minute, and then Booth saw something appear. Eric had come from the bedroom, and was standing there, Jade by his side. His green gaze dug into his own brown one, and Booth could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He slowly let go of Brennan, and she turned around, seeing that they were being watched. He could see her stiffen, and she grabbed her arms with the opposite hand.

"Tempe?" Eric said, obviously confused by their hug.

"He's an old friend,"_ And that's all I'll ever be_, he thought.

"Let me talk to you alone, Tempe," Eric said softly, motioning towards the bedroom.

Brennan hesitated, but then went forward. But before she rounded the corner, she looked at him. "Can you watch Jade for a second?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure," He said, looking at the quirky little girl, who was wearing a green sun dress.

And with that, they were off.

Jade stood quietly, twisting around uncomfortably. The name fit her well, her eyes were a beautiful shade of green, and they contrasted well with her dark hair.

"Hi Jade," he said, smiling.

"Hi," She said shyly, giving a small wave.

"How old are you?" Was the first thing he asked of course.

"Two," She said, walking towards him slowly.

Two? Brennan had met this man three years ago? And immediately had a baby with him? She'd known him for five years, and the closets they'd come to this was kissing. He was angry with her alright, but he pushed his anger aside for the moment.

"Cool. My name is Booth," He smiled, holding out his hand.

Jade looked at his hand, but didn't motion to shake it.

What was he thinking? A two year old didn't know what shaking hands was. He quickly retracted it.

"How old are you?" She asked him, tilting her head to the side.

Booth chuckled. She was so curious, just like her mother. "I'm forty three."

"You're older than daddy," She stated logically, "And older than mommy."

"How old is your daddy?"

"Forty," She said, holding up four fingers in the process.

"Does he go to work?"

"Yes."

"What does he do?"

"Don't know," she shrugged.

Booth felt like he was interrogating her. But with much easier questions. He was impressed with the two year-old's social skills, and vocabulary. Most two year-olds didn't speak half of what she did. No surprise there though, Brennan probably had her in one of the best, most expensive pre-pre-schools around, that taught the children french and math or something.

He felt like he should know everything he could about this Eric. We wasn't bad looking for a guy hitting his forties. Booth couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy prick at his heart. This man had achieved what he'd always wanted, and in such little time too.

His attention was drawn away from Jade when he heard a faint Bonesish giggle from down the hall, and his heart sank even more. He left what was going on in that room up to his imagination.

Before he knew it, he was sitting cross legged on the floor while Jade showed him all of her toys.

But he was distracted from the task at hand, because the only thing he could think about was how he should've come back when he said he would. Maybe then, he would be the one with her, and their daughter would be sitting with them.

He could've changed it.

But he didn't.

**Confused by her reaction? You'll figure it out :)**


	4. It's kind of a family thing

**Thanks for your support guys! I'm glad you like this story! Let me know what you think of this chapter :)**

Chapter 3

It had been three days since Booth had been back from Afghanistan, and today was the second day he would be back at work. Mostly he just filled out required paperwork and sat at his old desk, and occasionally took a break to poke the bobble head bobby he had gotten from London all those years ago.

The first day back had been like any first day on the job. Getting back into the swing of things, not really doing much exciting. But he was itching to get a case, or at least do something. Mostly, he just wanted an excuse to go to the Jeffersonian. He was sure the squint squad knew he was back by now, if everyone was still there. He was anxious to see them, especially Brennan. Even though it had only been two days since he had seen her, he still felt deprived. Turns out that she had missed him just as much as he had missed her, and he couldn't be happier about that.

He had run a background check on Eric while sitting at his desk that morning. Full name was Eric Dulso, forty, Anesthesiologist, graduated from University of Virginia Med School, never been married, one child: Jade Brennan. Booth figured he would be of someone with an equal intellect to Brennan, so that they could talk squint science and what not. No criminal record, 2nd in his class... all in all, he seemed like an ok guy. He had won several medical awards, for what Booth didn't know. And he wasn't some nerd, he seemed to actually have a regular, average guy life. Registered Harley Davidson motorcycle, season tickets to football games through work, he reminded Booth of himself. It was strange how alike they were, but Booth ignored it just as a man came through his office door.

"Agent Booth," The man was short, round, and had a bald spot appearing on the top of his gray haired head.

"Can I help you?" He asked, distracting himself from his thoughts.

"We've got a murder."

_{Line Break}_

Walking from his car to the actual crime scene hadn't lived up to the expectations he had set in his head. In fact, it was pretty much just... awkward. Being side by side Brennan had been something he was longing for years. He felt pretty natural around her, it was almost like he had never left in that respect. They were still friends... or at least he thought so. He expected some casual, ordinary conversation to come up between them. Something related to the case, their jobs, their friends... But instead, they had just walked in silence. Booth was restraining himself from jumping with joy, or at least blurting out something cheery. Brennan was her usual rational self, holding her back straight and head high. But something had changed within her while he was gone. Booth could feel her reverting back to her old self, an impervious person, almost emotionless at times.

Had he harmed her even more than he thought?

Once they got to the body, Brennan squatted down beside the corpse, and examined it thoroughly. Booth couldn't help but notice the dark circles that she wore under her eyes, and how she kept yawing in the middle of her sentences. It wasn't until she was practically sleeping next to the victim that Booth decided to speak up.

"Tired Bones?"

Her head turned towards his, looking at him with a sleepy expression. "Jade was up for a long time last night. She kept having bad dreams."

"Is she okay now?" Even Booth could feel the worry in his voice.

"I don't know, I took her to daycare. She's probably forgotten about it by now though," Said Brennan, picking up one of the arm bones of the victim and looking at it carefully.

"What were her dreams about?" Curious.

Brennan set the bone back down before she answered, "She wouldn't tell me." Annoyed.

"Well I'm sure it's nothing. Kids had nightmares all the time," He said, recalling having unrealistic dreams as a child.

"Yeah," Brennan mumbled, before becoming very interested in the skull of the victim.

"So this guy, was found by that guy over there," Booth pointed behind them, "Says he was taking a stroll through the alley, and then he just appeared."

"He's a male, approximately 160 pounds, 6'1, early thirties late twenties," She pointed to the top of the skull, "See these marks? They indicate the the victim was struck by a hard substance."

Booth saw a crack on the top of the head, and was surprised by what he saw. It almost looked like a flower, or a snowflake, because it was so symmetrical.

"I''ll get Wendell started on Identifying a weapon once we get back to the lab..." She said, looking over the rest of the body.

"So Bones, I was thinking we could do some catching up. What do you say to lunch at the diner?" Booth asked, ignoring the awful smell that suddenly radiated from the victim.

He saw her hesitate, then "I can't, I promised to take Jade to her favorite restaurant tonight," Stiff.

"Well, I could come. Spend some time with you guys?" He felt desperate now.

"It's kind of a family thing," She said, standing up.

Yikes, it wasn't like her to reject him so harshly. Or at all for that matter.

"Sure, I understand." He said, sighing, "Speaking of family, how's Max been?" Said Booth, changing the subject.

He saw Brennan's face change, he couldn't quite tell, but he thought he saw sadness in her features. Especially in her eyes.

"He hasn't been around for a while. I haven't heard from him in months," She said, trying to hide the fact that her eyes were tearing up by looking back towards the body.

Booth was surprised by the news, he thought that they had been getting along nicely. Max wouldn't leave his daughter like he had all those years ago, would he? Brennan must have been upset, because she started to walk back towards his SUV, with a slouch in her step.

{Line Break}

As soon as Booth opened the door to his apartment, he felt a wave of exhaustion come over him. It had been a long, long day. In between Brennan ignoring him, he had been piled with twice as much paperwork as he had expected. The small print put strain on his eyes, and he could feel his eye lids struggling to stay open.

Was it time for reading glasses? No, he wasn't _that _old.

But what really bothered him was the lack of Brennan in his life. This wasn't what he remembered about her, shutting down his ideas and refusing to spend time with him. She had a kid for god's sake, how was he supposed to compete with that? No, not a competition, he told himself.

_Then why does it feel like one?_

Booth stumbled to his fridge to grab a beer, and used the old trick of opening a bottle with the lid of another. He watched the air drift from the top of the bottle, taking on the appearance of smoke. After it faded, he took a big gulp and headed to his couch.

Jade, the name came from no where, as did the kid. She looked just like the pictures of Brennan he'd seen as a child. A mirror image. Her personality was a bit different though, more quirky and unique. The eyes were really something to look at. They were just as amazing as her mothers, but a completely different shade. Bright green, with a hint of gray. But this guy... Eric, had the same eyes as his daughter, probably the only thing of his that she did have. She was more outgoing than Brennan, but not quite as...

Booth couldn't really think of a word to describe Eric's personality. Strong? Brave? The word that stuck in Booth's mind was dangerous, but what else would you expect from a tall, dark haired man?

He didn't look dangerous himself did he? Nah.

He longed for the days when he'd be sharing wine with her, here, all those years ago. When they talk about the case, sometimes personal issues, relationships, friends, nightmares, dreams...

But he finished his beer alone that night.

**Sorry for the delay :/ Can't seem to keep on track with school!**


	5. You still Remember that?

**I am so sorry guys, I have no idea what to say! I wish I hadn't been gone so long, but I was feeling very creative today, so I hope this chapter is worth the wait.**

Chapter 4

It wasn't a dream that had woken Booth from his light sleep, nor was it an alarm, but the shrill sound of his cell phone that he had left of the end table next to the couch. He rubbed his eyes as he woke, saw some baseball game playing on the TV, the volume down to a light mumble. He'd must have dozen off watching. He reached for his phone, wondering why he'd chosen the most obnoxious ringer. He pressed the accept call button, and held it against the side of his head as he slurred sleepily, "Booth."

"Hey Booth."

Booth became more aware now that he heard Brennan's voice through the phone. Why would she be calling him at, he looked at his watch, 9:27 at night?

"Oh, hey Bones, what's up?" He said, standing up from the couch.

"I was just wondering if you could bring by some soup?" She asked.

"Soup? Aren't you going out to Jade's favorite restaurant tonight?"

"I'm sick, Eric took her tonight."

Now that she mentioned it, Booth couldn't ignore the scratchy sound that she made when she talked.

"Oh, sure."

"If you're not too busy that is..."

"No I'm not doing much."

"Can you pick up the vegetable kind?" She asked.

"Sure, I'll be right over."

"Ok... Thank you Booth."

After that, he heard a click, meaning that she had disconnected.

Soup? Did she ever eat soup before? He was disappointed he couldn't remember. He grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter, picked up his coat, and headed for the door.

_{Line Break}_

Booth rocked back and forth from his heels to his toes as he waited for Brennan to answer the door to her apartment. He had two 'to-go' containers of soup in his hands, one vegetable for her, and one for him. He wasn't planning to go hungry tonight, and since he was already out, he just picked up something for himself.

The sight he was greeted by was a tired Brennan, in sweatpants and a T-shirt, who looked very grateful to get some warm soup.

"Oh, thank you Booth, thank you so much." She said, taking the soup he was handing her.

"No problem." Said Booth, releasing the soup from his right hand.

"You can come in for a while, Eric wont be back for another hour at least." She said, walking back to the couch.

At first Booth hesitated, but followed her inside, closing the door after himself.

"I have some beer in the fridge, want some?" She asked, looking over her shoulder.

"That would be great." He said, feeling slightly awkward being at her apartment again. He set his coat down on the arm of her couch, and sat down,placing his soup on the coffee table. "Grab some spoons too, will ya?"

A few seconds passed, and then the were sitting side by side, eating soup and drinking beer.

Booth looked over to her, smiled and couldn't help but feel like they had just solved a case. They could just be hanging out, like they used to.

"Where'd you get that bruise on your arm?" He said, indicating the purple blotch on her upper arm.

"Oh. I was picking up some of Jade's toys, and I wasn't really looking where I was going, and I accidentally ran into the edge of my counter in the kitchen." She said, pulling her short sleeve down to cover the bruise.

"Jade sounds like a cool kid." Booth said, eating another spoonful of soup.

"She sure is. I bet she's having fun tonight too," She said, looking unhappy that she was missing out. "But you know? I'm having quite a good time just sitting here, eating soup with you. Even though we should be thinking about the case." She said, chuckling.

"Ah, let us have our own time, we always enjoy each others company right?" he smiled.

"Expect for that one time I showed up in your house when you were in the bathtub," She laughed.

"You still remember that? That was nearly 4 years ago!" He said, blushing at the memory.

"Of course I remember, you were quite agitated."

"Well what about that one Halloween, after that one case? You were Wonder woman, and I was a _Squint." _He said, saying 'squint' in a quirky voice.

"And that one time you and Parker came over to my pool? That was fun," She smiled.

"I miss those days Bones. Us, just hanging out." He said, putting his hands behind his head.

"I know what you mean. I feel like I have so many responsibilities now, especially with Jade."

"Let's just forget about our lives right now, let's just relax, what about that? Sounds good right?"

"Yes." She said, finishing up her soup.

Booth was relieved that He could get along with her so well. When he came over here, he expected her to want him to leave after she got er soup, but she seemed to miss him just as much as he missed her. So, why not invite him to diner earlier? She she think Eric would be jealous?

Did she think he would be jealous?

He decided on the later. An uncomfortable feeling crawled across his skin, but she didn't seem to feel the same. She was sitting comfortably, her feet propped up onto the coffee table, sipping at her beer.

How did he give this up for three years?

Questions zipped through his mind, right before Brennan pulled him from his thoughts.

"It really is good to have you back Booth."

Looking over at Brennan, Booth smiled. "It's good to be back Bones."

As Booth looked into Brennan's eyes, he saw that she was tearing up, but wasn't if it was from joy or sorrow. He sat forward, leaning closer to her.

"Oh Bones-"

They were interrupted by the sound of Brennan's phone. She scrambled to get to it, and quickly shoved it against her ear.

"Hello?"

Booth sighed, and sat back against the couch. He needed to talk to her, but every time he tried, something got in the way.

"Yes, ok, ok... Bye."

Booth raised his eyebrows, waiting for the report.

"They've finished diner. They'll be back any minute."

"Perfect," He said, sarcastically.

"You should go."

"Come on, I'm sure Eric wont mind."

"Really Booth, you shouldn't stay," She said, picking at her fingernails. "He wont be happy I invited someone over while I'm sick."

"Sure, sure. I'll go." He said, grabbing his keys and heading for the door. "See you tomorrow right?"

"Um, yeah." She said, tossing their soup containers into the trashcan. "Tomorrow."

"Bye."

After not getting a response, he left.

As he stepped up into his car, he tried to shake the fact that it seemed Bones didn't want him to be there when Eric was around. Or Jade. They were having a good time, why not keep him around longer? Did Brennan really think he'd be _that_ jealous? Why did she make it feel like they were doing something wrong by hanging out? Was Eric the jealous one?

_Why can't things just go back to the way they used to be?_

**Review? Please? REVIEW, I COMMAND YOU.**


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